BMW X6

Overview

The X6 combines a coupe's fastback roofline and a crossover's high-riding capability—with polarizing results. The unusual styling results in reduced cargo space—which is its Achilles' heel—but those seeking a nontraditional aesthetic in their SUV will have to live with less practicality. Its road manners illustrate that the BMW badge no longer represents the benchmark for driver engagement, although the company still builds superb engines. The X6 supports its luxury bona fides with a beautifully crafted interior and a robust infotainment system. Unfortunately, it's easy to balloon the bottom line with options. While the X6 makes a strong visual statement, crossover buyers will pay more for less with this bemusing Bimmer.

What's New for 2019?

For 2019, the X6 receives several new standard features and revised option packages. Every model now features standard Apple CarPlay and these driver assists: automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, and speed-limit information. The six-cylinder versions can now be had with the Convenience package, which adds four-zone automatic climate control, a one-year SiriusXM satellite radio subscription, and passive entry. Likewise, this package is now included with the M Sport package on six-cylinder models. The Premium package is updated to include self-parking assist, a head-up display, wireless charging, and a Wi-Fi hotspot; the Executive package adds soft-close doors, rear manually operated side window shades, adaptive headlights that turn with the steering wheel, and automatic high-beams.

BMW X6 Pricing and Which One to Buy

sDrive35i: $64,545

xDrive35i: $66,845

xDrive50i: $79,295

We'd choose the rear-drive sDrive35i because it has plenty of power and delivers the most value; all-wheel drive adds $2300. That choice also frees up money to add the Premium package, which is required to unlock most other options. It includes four-zone automatic climate control, passive entry, wireless charging, and a one-year subscription to SiriusXM All Access. Also, the sDrive35i has these standard features: leather interior with power-adjustable heated front seats, 10.2-inch touchscreen with navigation, front and rear parking sensors, and power-operated liftgate.

Engine, Transmission, Performance, and Towing

BMW has standardized exceptional powertrains, and the X6 is a good example of that. Its 300-hp turbocharged six-cylinder has lots of power and delivers it in a silky rush. While the version we tested was more fun going from stoplight to stoplight than it was tackling the corners, the engine had a responsive throttle and a heavy right foot produced lively acoustics. The potent 445-hp V-8 version costs an arm and someone else's leg, and it undercuts the outrageous 567-hp BMW X6 M by about $27,000. Both the six- and eight-cylinder X6s partner with an excellent paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic transmission.

If the X6 had sportier handling, we might care less about its polarizing design—but that's not the case. It drove crisply enough around town, but "verve" is not a word that comes to mind when you whisk it down a winding road. Its handling and overall control were also affected by a dearth of steering feedback. Although the steering effort increased in the sportier drive modes, the effect hardly improved driver interaction. Its brake pedal also lacked the consistent response to foot pressure that provides a feeling of security on a vehicle this size. Still, the X6 kept passengers protected from most harsh impacts and road noise. The X6 is certainly quick and comfortable, but several alternatives are simply more fun to drive.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The V-8–powered X6 is only available with all-wheel drive, but the six-cylinder model offers either rear- or all-wheel drive. The EPA estimates that both powertrains earn the same 18 mpg city, but the rear-drive model adds 1 mpg to its highway rating. The six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive version we tested exceeded its EPA highway estimate on our fuel loop. Still, its observed 25 mpg was only 1 mpg more than similar rivals. Since we haven't tested an X6 with the V-8, we don't know how efficient it is in the real world.

Thankfully, the inside of the X6 is much nicer to look at than the outside. With a mix of rich materials and luxurious standard features, it delivers an upscale experience. Too bad the back seat has tight dimensions and rear visibility is inhibited by the coupelike roofline. The dash featured a cool digital gauge cluster that changes color with the drive modes you select, but we wish the adjustments for the head-up display weren't buried in the touchscreen menus.

Every X6 has a 10.2-inch touchscreen complete with versatile controls and an assortment of standard features such as Apple CarPlay. BMW's iDrive infotainment system is attractive and easy to operate thanks to a litany of input options. The large high-resolution display can be customized with a split-screen mode and personalized information.

Not only does the X6 have an unusual body style for this class, many of its competitors have three rows of seats where the X6 has only two. This explains why the X6 and the two-row Maserati Levante held more carry-ons with all their seats raised than the others. The BMW X5, the X6's squareback sibling, has another 17 cubic feet of max cargo volume. Inside, the X6 has plenty of spots to store a variety of items. Highlights include a compartment under the dash near the driver's left knee and useful bins on either side of the rear outboard seats.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The X6 has not been crash tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Bimmer's list of standard and optional driver-assistance equipment is comprehensive and includes cool tech such as self-parking and night vision—yes, night vision. Key safety features include:

Standard blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning

Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking

Available adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go technology

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Apart from its lengthy complimentary scheduled maintenance, the X6 has average—albeit competitive—warranty coverage.

Limited warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles

Powertrain warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles

Complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for 3 years or 36,000 miles

Get the Best Deal on a BMW X6

2018 BMW X6 xDrive35i

Form overwhelms function.

Recent News

Introduced for the 2008 model year, the BMW X6 amalgamated the X5 sport-utility with what BMW characterized as four-door-coupe fastback styling. That was 10 years and one 2015 redesign ago, a period during which we’ve failed to warm to the species even as it spawned imitators and rivals.

Action on the dealership floor says most BMW buyers prefer the more traditional look and greater utility of the X5. Of combined X5/X6 sales in the United States last year (including the high-performance M versions), the X6 accounted for about 12 percent of the total. That has pretty much been the story for the past decade—an incremental addition to the bottom line stemming from an exterior design tweak applied to an existing platform. That said, the X6 does sell quite well in overseas markets, adding plenty of volume and keeping the line solvent.

But it is action on the road rather than in showrooms that matters most to us. We last tested an xDrive35i version like this example back in 2015, stating that “there’s a BMW under there,” with regard to the mechanical specification, which remains unchanged for 2018. It gets 300 horsepower from a wonderfully smooth and torque-rich turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. That engine sends 300 lb-ft of torque through a paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system (the only less expensive X6 is the rear-wheel-drive sDrive35i).

It Still Scoots

Our 2015 example was a wink or two quicker across the board, but even this test car’s 5.8-second dash to 60 mph and quarter-mile run in 14.4 seconds at 96 mph can’t be called slow for a tall, heavy, SUV-like thing weighing 4704 pounds (14 pounds lighter than the earlier example). The X6 has that element of a fun-to-drive vehicle pretty well covered—tramp on the throttle and something gratifying happens.

As in many other BMWs, the eight-speed automatic enhances the driving experience. Shifts are smooth and swift when left to itself, and the transmission answers with even more vigor in manual mode. As automatics go, this ZF-sourced unit is among the best. Sure, we prefer manual transmissions, but you’ll never see them in vehicles like this one. In terms of fuel economy, the EPA estimates 18 mpg city and 24 highway for the xDrive35i; we averaged 21 mpg, the same as in 2015, or 1 mpg better than the EPA combined estimate of 20. Similarly, in our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test the 2018 X6 achieved 25 mpg.

Our dynamic assessment is where things get a little blurry. For example, the X6’s braking performance is strong and fade free, with excellent pedal modulation. But a 172-foot stopping distance from 70 mph is merely so-so.

Handling, too, finds form dominating over function. Grip from a set of Pirelli Scorpion All Season Run Flats (size 255/50R-19) was modest on the skidpad at 0.84 g—not the figure of an ultimate driving machine—but the X6 can be herded around fast corners at surprisingly high speeds and with increasing confidence, although it sometimes feels ponderous.

The X6 carries its weight SUV-high, and there’s significant body motion in quick maneuvers; recovery in rapid left-right-left series could be called leisurely. Engaging the Sport driving mode makes a tangible improvement here, but the impression persists.

Ride quality on pavement is pleasant—surprisingly so considering the run-flat tires, the damping smoothing off the road’s hard edges even in Sport mode. However, it’s not so pleasant on washboard sections of dirt road, where the damping can’t quite keep pace with the suspension oscillations.

Steering is another gray area. Effort is there, but tactile information is muffled and a little vague.

Limited Lateral Support

Similarly, the interior of the X6 isn’t what one might associate with a four-door GT. This applies in particular to the front seats, which have a relaxed fit. They’re all-day comfortable, widely adjustable, and beautifully upholstered in high-grade hides but only modestly bolstered and not noteworthy for lateral support when the g-loads start coming at odd angles.

The interior is generally roomy, although rear-seat headroom is compromised by the slope of the roof, something that’s also true of cargo space. The center rear seat is not fit for adults.

And as in our 2015 report, many find BMW’s now-ubiquitous electronic shift lever nothing if not annoying, especially in ordinary daily driving, although that complaint is mitigated by the paddle shifters if you get your dander up.

Well Equipped

Standard features on the X6 xDrive35i include adaptive xenon headlights, 14-way power-adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, a 10.2-inch central touchscreen with navigation and real-time traffic info, a premium audio system, a power-adjustable steering column, a power sunroof, a power liftgate, and a backup camera with front and rear parking sensors. Leaving aside styling and whatever handling prowess buyers might expect of this driving machine, at $66,245 the X6 stacks up as a pretty good package in this luxury segment, even though that base price is about $3000 higher than it was in 2015.

Our test vehicle was loaded with nearly $10,000 worth of options. These included the $1700 Driving Assistance package (lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and a very good head-up display), the $1200 Driver Assistance Plus package (adaptive cruise control with auto stop/start and automated emergency braking), the $1150 Premium package (four-zone automatic climate control, proximity-key entry, and one year of satellite radio), and the $2550 Executive package (soft-close doors, adaptive LED lights, a surround-view camera system, and parking assist). There were a few stand-alone options, too: $1500 for adaptive dampers with rear-axle air suspension, $400 running boards, $400 for wireless charging and a Wi-Fi hotspot, and Apple CarPlay compatibility for $300. The Space Gray paint was a final $550.

It’s Not Going Away

The X6’s “sports activity coupe” styling theme has been adapted to other X-series Bimmers—the X3 yields the X4 and, most recently, the X1 has been joined by the X2. By comparison to this X6, which loses 25 percent of the X5’s cargo capacity, the much smaller X2 retains more of the utility found in its traditionally styled stablemate and offers a recognizably BMW-like playful driving demeanor.

A BMW dealer was recently quoted by Automotive News as thinking the X2 could “replace the 3-series in terms of volume.” That would mean a lot more than incremental sales volume—consumers are embracing the general format more warmly than we have. We’re expecting a new X5 for the 2019 model year, and a third-generation X6 is bound to follow. Meanwhile, we’d suggest those interested in a four-door GT with more BMW-like driving performance and some added cargo utility look across that dealership floor at the 640i xDrive Gran Turismo.